Foldable door supporting clamp



Dec. 16, 1952 w. .1.V FoRDoN POLDVABLE DooR SUPPORTING CLAMP Filed Deo.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIGA.

JNVENTOR.`

WILLIAM JOSEPH FoRDoN /k ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES f-Egr- Prior.,

WilliamlJosephFordon, Bronx,.N. Y., assignor to Rose Grnger, New York, N. Y.

Application-December 13, 1947, Serial No. 791,547

(Cl. 11M- 296) 3 Ciaims.

vlt is further contemplated by my invention to provide a door clamp which may have V'a pair ci jaws adjustablymounted with relation to eachA other, wherein varying adjustable positions may be secured quickly and readily, without special and expensive adjusting devices..

It is further contemplated as an object of my invention to provide a door clamp or floor vise which is compact and may readily be stored in a workmans chest to occupy the minimum amount of space and which, in storage, or upon the dealers shelves, may likewise occupy the minimum amount of space, minimizing the cost of storage, packaging and shipment.

It is still further an object of my invention to provide a door clamp or floorvise which is rigid in construction for its intended use, yet light in weight and compact.

To attain these objects and Asuch further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is aperspectiveview illustrating my device, with portions thereof broken away to show details;

Figure 2'is` a section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figures Sand 4 show knock-down positions of my door clamp;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Making reference to the drawing, my door clamp comprises a fixed block member or jaw I0, an adjustable jaw II, and a jaw support I2. The xed jaw I0 is preferably formed of sheet metal stock to outline a web I3, having upright side branches I4 and I5, comprising a substantially U- shaped channel, with the abutment edges I6 at a slightly greater angle than 90 to the base I3. A jaw face plate II spans the edges I6 and includes side flanges I3 and I3, overlapping the branches I4 and I5, respectively and a top ange 20. A plurality of spot welds 2I unite the flanges I8 and I9 to the upright branchesA I4 and I5, re-

2 spectively. The top edges 22 taper oilc toward their outer ends.

The jaw support I2 is preferably formed o sheet metal stock to provide an upper face 24, with' side branches 25 and 26 bent at right angles thereto, to outline a channel. An end ange 21 is folded-downwardly in abutment with the edges 2S of the side ilanges 25 and 26. The flanges 25 and 23 extend beyond theedge 29, to form side arms 33,' 3 I overlapping the fixed jaw I0 and engagingthe upright sides I4 and I5 near the base I3, at which point rivets .32 within the body'of the walls I4 and I5 hingedly connect the jaw support I2 to the xed jaw IIl. The face 24 of the jaw support is formed with two groups of slots 33 and 34, the slots in each group being spaced apart at graduated distances, within limits to take Icare of standard variations found in door thicknesses.

The construction thus described provides a support for the movable jaw II, which is preferably likewise made of sheet metal stock having a base portion 35, the sides of which have bent at right angles thereto the uprights-35 Aand 3'I with abutment edges 38 generally slightly greater than 90 to the base portion 35. A jaw-face 39 abuts the edges 38 Aand-includes side branches 40 and 4I, overlapping the uprights 3S and 31, and connected thereto by spot welds 42.

The base portion 35is extended to provide a stop tongue 43 which is bent to be downwardly directed and is of a width to enter the slots in the face 24 of the jaw support.

Forwardly, the base 35 is formed witha locking tongue 44, having an offsetvertically directed branchg, to direct the locking tongue 44 substantially in parallelism with the base 35. Each of the tongues 43 and 44 is of a Width to enter the slots 33 and 34, and is spaced from the other for a distance equivalent to the position of the slots of the series in the groups 33 and 34.

With this construction, it will be observed that by rst directing the tongue 44 endwise into a slot 34, and then tilting the same backwardly to have the tongue 43 enter one of the slots 34, a fixed position of the jaws I3 and I I to each other is secured.

Tilting of the jaws away from each other around the hinge provided by the rivets 32 will permit insertion of a door D therebetween, to come to rest upon the face 24 of the jaw support I2. As the weight of the door is brought down upon the support, the jaws are tilted toward each other, to bring them in binding engagemem-l with the door by reason of the small obtuse angular position of the edges I6 and 38 to the respective bases of the jaws. The. extension of the pivot within the body of the jaw I provides an uninterrupted door edge engaging surface, minimizing any marring of the door to be held.

It will be observed that a wide range of adjustable positions of the jaws to each other may be secured, without any special tools or adjusting members, and that while the fingers 43 and 44 may both be used in a pair of slots, I may, where it is desired to space the jaws for more extensive objects, utilize an inter-engagement of the locking tongue 44 with one of the slots in the group 34 overhanging the tongue 43 beyond the end 21, when this position of the movable jaw I I is found desirable.

The construction, by which the various members are channel formed and of sheet metal, makes for a highly compact assembly, as more clearly shown by an inspection of Figures 3 and 4. This compactness of assembly in knock-down condition will be found useful in connection with storage or packaging of the door clamp or floor vise. Upon removal of the separable generally channell-shaped jaw element II, it is positioned to have the upright walls 36 and 31 span and overlap the upright walls I4 and I5. Thereupon the support I2 is pivoted to nest the channel I3 within the channel formed by the support I2, as more clearly shown in Figure 4. In this position, the vise or clamp is brought within the connes of a box B for packaging purposes, or will occupy this minimum space in the tool chest of a workman.

It will thus be observed that I have provided a door clamp cr-oor vise which, while made of simple metal stampings by shaping sheet metal, affords the desired rigidity and strength for the purposes intended by a carpenter or workman in fitting doors or like contrivances.

Speedy adjustment without the use of special tools may be effected, and economy both in materials and space is achieved.

It will also be observed that the increased angularity of the jaws above normal to the base and the clearance between the pivot point 32 and a plane to reach alignment with the channel 3l is such that when the weight of the door D is applied to the channel SI, the limiting position or alignment will bring the channel 3| into engagement with the ioor, to be supported thereby and to release the stress upon the pivot point and avoid excessive strain or shearing of the pivots.

It will also be observed that while the present construction is intended for operation of doors of wooden construction which may yield under the compressive stress of bringing the jaws to each other, where incompressible articles are used I may crown the faces of the jaws I1 and 39 as shown, to compensate therefor so that the warping of these crowned faces yields to the compressive forces in bringing the jaws to each other (see Figure 5 of the drawing). The jaw face plates I1 and 39, respectively, may preferably be left unconnected at the corners C. This will permit the channels to yield lightly under this form of compressive stress.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A foldable door-supporting clamp comprising an open-channel base member having spaced side Walls connected by a web, an open-channel jaw member comprising spaced side walls and a connecting web portion, one of said members having a pair of side walls thereof formed with extended side arms overlapping the side walls of the other member and hinged thereto by pivot pins extending parallel to the webs of said members, one of said channel members being upright and the other channel member being inverted with respect thereto, a second jaw member adjustably and removably connected to and along the web of said base member in opposed relation to said first mentioned jaw member, each of said jaw members having face plates superimposed on their opposing ends, whereby the said channel members may be folded into inter-nested position and in an open and extended position the weight of the door placed upon the base member between the jaws will cause their upper ends clampingly to approach each other.

2. A foldable clamp in accordance with claim l wherein said base channel member and said second jaw member are adjustably connected by a series of slot and finger connections on said base channel and second jaw member, respectively.

3. A foldable clamp in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hinge pivot position of said members is wholly to one side of both jaw face plates and Within the body confines of the rst jaw member.

WILLIAM JOSEPH FORDON.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 611,340 Smith Sept. 27, 1898 661,133 Riggle Nov. 6, 1900 771,753 Stanley Oct. 4, 1904 1,127,833 Von Hiddessen Feb. 9, 1915 1,479,209 Topp Jan. 1, 1924 2,154,869 Sampson Apr. 18, 1939 

